Who was Henry Clay and why did he want the country to go to war?

Answer 1

Henry Clay was a 19th Century Kentucky politician who served as Speaker of the House 3 separate times. He is known for writing the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, both of which would eventually lead towards the Civil War.

He was also the leader of the War-Hawks, a group that wanted to wage war against Britain in 1812.

Clay and the War Hawks wanted war because:

• British ships would seize American ships and impress (force the sailors into the British navy, claiming they had deserted, which was often true).
• The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, where the British ship Leopard attacked and boarded the U.S. Chesapeake in order to check for deserters. Three sailors were killed and 18 were injured.
• Because of Britain and France's ongoing war, there were many trade restrictions.
• The Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin), was given to America by Britain in the Treaty of Paris. Many Indian tribes did not approve of the expansion and attempted to stop settlers. The British did nothing to stop them and in fact provided them with weaponry.
• The War hawks wished for America to expand into Canada (this reason is widely debated however).